The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has accelerated its transition to digital immigration processing by announcing a new strategy known as eProcessing.
eProcessing will look to provide users with a complete digital experience, from applying for a benefit, to communicating with USCIS, through receiving a decision on a case.
As a first step, certain visitors for business, visitors for pleasure, and vocational students can now apply online to extend their stay in the United States. Additional classifications will be coming soon.
eProcessing connects previously separate technology systems within the agency to ultimately improve decision timeliness, increase transparency during the application process, and to accelerate the availability of online filing for all immigration benefits.
Each year, USCIS receives more than eight million requests for immigration benefits. Improvements to USCIS technology will continue to enable more applicants to submit many of these requests online.
“One of my priorities is to accelerate the modernisation of our nation’s lawful immigration system,” said USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna. “eProcessing modernizes USCIS’ work to create a paperless solution that is more effective for applicants, our officers, and our partner agencies.”
USCIS will create official digital immigration records through this fully modernised process of applying for immigration benefits. From application to decision, eProcessing will aim to give USCIS officials faster access to applicant data. By doing this it is hoped that applicants will encounter a more responsive and effective USCIS.
Article published 24th May 2019